Fighting the Good Fight
by BubblyShell22
Summary: Four mutants were changed forever thanks to the Kraang. Now they have banded together and the Mighty Mutanimals are determined to continue fighting the good fight no matter what happens.
1. Chapter 1

Fighting the Good Fight

Chapter 1: Humble Beginnings

A/N: So here's an idea I've had for a while featuring the Mighty Mutanimals. I love this group, so I thought it would be awesome to do a story featuring them. The Turtles will be in this, too, so don't worry about them being absent. This first part is one I've been dying to get out, so I'm really excited to be doing so now. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more.

Summary: Four mutants were changed forever thanks to the Kraang. Now they have banded together and the Mighty Mutanimals are determined to continue fighting the good fight no matter what happens.

Spike sat in his bowl and chewed on his leaf. He really liked these treats though he wished his Master would take him on missions with them. He was eternally grateful for Raphael for rescuing him as he did, but he wanted to see more than just the confines of Raph's room, the living room, and the dojo. He wasn't even allowed in Donnie's lab because Donnie was afraid he would get hurt.

He lifted his head up as Raph came in. He didn't seem to be hurt, but he was still mad.

"I swear, Leo's drivin' me up a wall," he grumbled. "He thinks he's so great just because Splinter made him the leader. He's got no right bossin' me around like that. I should have been the leader. I would have done a better job than he does. Do you think I'd make a good leader, Spike? Chew on your leaf if you think I'd make a good leader."

Spike chewed on his leaf because he did think Raph would make a good leader and also because he was hungry. He wasn't sure if Raph really thought he understood what Raph was saying, but Spike did. He knew how frustrated he was with his brothers at times and how he wished things were different. Spike wished that, too. He wished that he could sit by Raph and put his arm around him and reassure him that things were going to be okay.

He wished that he was a mutant like Raph instead of a pet turtle.

22222

The alligator chirped as he was lifted out of his tank. The human held him gently and seemed to remember not to be rough with him, which he appreciated. He still didn't have a name, but maybe that was because the human couldn't think of one.

"You're so cool," the human said. "I just hope Mom and Dad don't find out I have you. You have to stay quiet, okay?"

The alligator chirped an assent because that was all he could do. He was happy to be here and hoped that would live a long life in this human's home. The human gently put him in his tank and gave him some food. The alligator fed off of it, a rumble of content issuing from his throat.

22222

Tyler Rockwell smiled as he hugged his mother and father. He had just graduated from Oxford University and now had a degree. It had taken him a long time to achieve it, but he had finally accomplished his goal of becoming a college graduate.

"We are so proud of you, Tyler," his mother said. "You truly are a great son."

"And what do you plan to do with this achievement now?" his father asked.

"I think I'm going to move to America," Tyler replied. "I've heard there's great opportunity over there for scientists like me."

"But that's so far from home, love," his mother protested. "We wouldn't be able to see you all of the time. How could we check on you?"

"I know it's far, but I have to do this," he replied. "It's a great opportunity, and I need to take it while it's still there. I hope you understand, Mother."

She sighed. "I do, Tyler, but I'm going to miss you." She gave him a hug and he hugged her back.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck," his father said. "I just hope you'll do good work as you were born to do."

"Thank you, Father," Tyler said. "I'll do my best." He embraced his parents one last time and then prepared to head to America. He knew that he had the best opportunity there and that it was a great place with great people.

Little did he know that moving to that country would change his life in more ways than one.

22222

The pigeon flew over the city along with his fellows. He was happy in the city and loved getting as much food as he could from the people who often threw things away. Humans were sometimes so wasteful, but that was an advantage for the young pigeon and his flock. He settled down in Central Park and saw a couple on a bench. They were always so kind and were always nice enough to feed them their bread.

"Oh, look, Harold, here are the dear ones," the woman said.

"Yep, right on time. Do you have the bread, Ingrid?"

"Yes, I do," she replied and she threw it on the ground for the hungry pigeons.

With a coo of excitement, the young pigeon darted over to one of the pieces and began eating it happily. He relished the taste of the bread in his mouth just as he did every time they came to the Park. Nothing could ever be as good as this was.

22222

Once again, Raph was mad at his brothers. He stormed in, muttering about how he was tired of being on the team and wanted to be on his own. He had said this many times, but Spike firmly believed that this time he meant it.

"You get it, don't you, Spike?" Raph asked his pet.

Spike let out a little chirp in agreement. Of course he knew what Raph wanted. It was the same thing he wanted, too. He wanted to be a mutant and work side by side with Raph, ridding the world of the bad guys together. It didn't seem like too much to ask. They were interrupted by Mikey saying that Raph needed to help clean up. Raph refused, saying that it was Donnie's mess and that he didn't want to clean up. Mikey told him to tell Splinter that, and Raph said he would. With a huff, he yanked his door open and then slammed it shut. The mutagen canister rolled off of his drum set and crashed to the floor, spilling the contents.

Spike looked at the green stuff congealing on the floor. Its glow seemed to mesmerize him, and he had to find out more about it. He jumped off of his perch and crawled toward the mutagen. He took some in his mouth and relished the funny taste it had. He crawled within the stuff, noting how it stuck to him. Then suddenly, things changed. Pain consumed him as he began to grow. He became bigger than he was before and spikes protruded out of his shell. He swallowed back a scream as the pain continued, and then it was gone. When he looked at himself he found that he was no longer a pet turtle.

He was a mutant.

22222

The alligator was still happy with the human boy. The human came home from school and smiled as he looked at his pet.

"Hey, there," he said. "I hope you haven't been lonely. I wish I didn't have to leave you."

Suddenly, there was a loud knocking on his door.

"Chuck, what are you doing in there?" his mother demanded.

"Nothing, Mom!" Chuck called back.

"Yes, you are," his father replied. "You've been holed up in your room a lot and now you're talking to someone. Have you snuck a girl into your room?"

"No, Dad, I'm not talking to anyone," Chuck told him.

That wasn't good enough for the parents, and they forced his door open. Their eyes widened as they saw their son holding a baby alligator in his hands. The mother let out a shriek, and the father snatched him from Chuck's arms.

"No!" Chuck yelled. "Leave him alone! He's harmless!"

"I can't believe you brought an alligator home!" his father yelled. "What were you thinking?" He carried the alligator into the bathroom.

"Get it out of here!" the mother wailed.

"Dad, what are you doing?" Chuck asked.

His father didn't answer and simply dropped the alligator into the toilet. There was a flushing sound, and then the alligator felt himself spinning before he was sucked into darkness. He wasn't sure how long it lasted, but then he shot out of the pipe and landed on firm ground. Before he could think about what to do, he was surrounded by humans dressed in business suits.

"Kraang, what is that creature that is sitting on the thing known as the ground?" one of them asked.

"That is what is known as an alligator, Kraang," another one said.

"This specimen will be useful in Kraang's experiment," the first one said, and he picked up the alligator and took it away. The alligator tried to bite, but it had no effect on the human.

He was taken to a lab and strapped to a table. One of the humans held a syringe filled with a green substance which he injected into the alligator. At first, nothing happened, but then terrible pain wracked his body as he began changing from a baby alligator into a mutant. The pain didn't stop as numerous experiments were performed on him and all the alligator could do was mourn the loss of the home and the human who had cared for him so deeply.

22222

Tyler Rockwell was good friends with Victor Falco. The two of them were inseparable as they spent time in the lab and talked about experiments. They went out to dinner together and talked about their families. Victor graduated at the top of his class and Tyler was happy to know someone as smart as he was.

But something changed one day as Victor was talking about what he wanted to do. "I want to create a serum that helps me delve into the minds of others," he said. "I think that would be an ingenious idea."

"But that's impossible, Victor," Tyler argued. "There's no such thing as a serum for reading minds."

"Ah, but there is," Victor said. "I have been studying it, and I think I've got the right formula to help me. But I need a test subject to help with this, and you are the best one I can think of."

"Victor, you're my friend, but have you tested this out before?"

"No, you will be the first one I test it on," Victor replied. "Please, Tyler. We're friends, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are friends, but I don't want to do this. You'll have to find someone else to run your experiment on."

Without warning, Victor jabbed Tyler with a syringe filled with a green substance. Tyler yelled in pain, hardly daring to believe what his colleague had done to him. Then the yell turned into a scream as pain racked Tyler's body as he began to change from a human into a monkey. After the change was complete, Tyler yelled viciously at his friend, but all that came out of his mouth was a monkey's scream.

Victor laughed in triumph. "As you can see, it works. I knew I wouldn't be able to test it on a human, so I knew I'd have to have an animal to test it on instead. Monkeys are very intelligent, but the zoo wouldn't let me take one of theirs, so I found a canister of mutagen and put some monkey DNA in it. Now, you are my test subject, and you will serve your purpose well, Tyler. Don't be mad. Think of it as your contribution to science." With an evil laugh, Victor put Tyler in a cage and locked it tightly. Then he turned on his heel and left his friend alone.

Tyler was outraged at what Victor had done. He couldn't believe his friend would stoop so low as to betray him like this. Tyler knew he couldn't stick around and remain a test subject. He was determined to leave and make sure that Victor's experiment didn't succeed.

22222

The pigeon saw some crumbs on the ground and hurried to peck at them. After he finished his meal, he was surrounded by humans dressed in business suits. The humans began talking, but the pigeon didn't really understand what they were saying. He cooed, and they picked him up and took him to a laboratory. He was strapped to a table and injected with a substance that was green and glowing. Pain filled him as his body began changing and when it was over, he was a mutant pigeon at the mercy of the Kraang.

22222

Raph was surprised at the change in his pet but also delighted. This was what he'd been hoping for since he rescued Spike from his fate. He helped his pet get some gear and suit up to fight crime.

"You look awesome, Spike," Raph said.

The bigger turtle laughed. "Never liked the name Spike," he said. "Call me Slash."

22222

"So what's your name anyway?" the freckled Turtle asked him.

The alligator really liked this new friend, but his question seemed odd. "I do not have one," he replied.

The Turtle's blue eyes widened in shock. "You don't have a name?! Well you're in luck 'cause I'm a genius at naming stuff." He bent down and examined the alligator even opening his mouth to look inside. "Your head is kind of leathery. How about Headleather? Heather? Wait, Leatherhead. That's it. Leatherhead."

The alligator smiled. "Leatherhead it is," he agreed. "Thank you, my friend." He was happy to not only have a friend in his midst but to also have a name. He was no longer just an alligator. He was Leatherhead.

22222

Rockwell took one last look at the Turtles before escaping. There was no way he was staying in that lab. He had to find a new home and get away from Falco as soon as he could. There was no telling what the scientist would do to him if he stuck around. He wandered the city until he found an abandoned warehouse. Yes, this would do for now until he could find something else. He sighed as he curled up on some blankets.

He was no longer Tyler Rockwell, brilliant scientist. He was a freak.

22222

The pigeon sat in his cell, unable to process what had happened. He noticed a red-haired man sitting next to him.

"I can't believe they got you, too," he said.

"Yeah, I didn't think this would happen," the pigeon responded. It was a shock to learn that he could talk as a normal human could, but it came in handy.

"Do you have a name?" the man asked.

"Nope, I'm just a pigeon," the bird replied.

"How about if I give you one?" the man suggested. He thought a moment and then smiled. "I'll call you Pete. Would that be a good name?"

The pigeon smiled. "Yeah, I like that name," he said. "What's yours?"

"I'm Kirby," the man said.

"Nice to meet you, Kirby," Pete said.

"I have a favor to ask of you. I need to get a message to my daughter. Could you somehow do it for me?"

Pete nodded. "I'd love to help you out. Just tell me what to do."

Kirby compiled the video for his daughter and gave Pete instructions on how to find her. Pete nodded and when he had the opportunity, he escaped to carry out his mission. He just hoped he wouldn't fail.

22222

The city was in ruins as the Kraang invaded. Slash was worried and wondered where the Turtles were. Were they safe, or had they been captured by the aliens? If they had been captured, he was going to make sure the Kraang paid for that. No one messed with his friends. As he went along the rooftops, he spotted his other teammates not far behind him. They had met after the Kraang had invaded and had forged a bond based on how their lives had changed thanks to the aliens. They were a good group, and Slash was happy that he'd found them.

"I don't see any other robots," Leatherhead reported.

Slash shook his head. "Nope, I guess that's the last of them," he said.

"Wait, what about over there?" Pete asked as he pointed.

Slash followed the pigeon's gaze and saw a group of Kraangdroids converging on a human. Slash growled low in his throat. "That's all kinds of wrong," he said. "What do you say we take care of this threat?"

Leatherhead, Rockwell, and Pete all agreed. This couldn't go on any longer.

Slash smiled. "Mutanimals, move out!" he ordered. They converged on the Kraangdroids and beat them into submission. Once they were all defeated, the group celebrated and headed back to their secret base. Slash was happy that everything was turning out okay. Sure, the Kraang were still around, but as long as the Mighty Mutanimals were around, things would change. They would continue to keep on fighting the good fight and rid the world of the Kraang once and for all.

A/N: And that's the end of the first chapter. I had fun with it, and I hope you enjoyed it, too. I have good plans for this story, and I definitely can't wait to write more. I know I skipped them all being imprisoned by the Kraang, but I felt the chapter was long enough without that, so that's why I skipped that part. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Celebration

A/N: So here's the second chapter of this little tale. This one takes place right after "Battle for New York" after they've defeated the Kraang. Thanks to those who have favorite and followed this story. Also thanks to those who have left reviews as well. It means a lot to me that you're enjoying this story as much as I'm enjoying writing it. And if you haven't left a review yet, don't be shy. I'd love to hear some feedback and how you feel about this story.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more.

The night was peaceful as eight figures leapt across the rooftops of New York City. The Kraang had been defeated and all was once again fine within the City That Never Sleeps. The Turtles and the Mutanimals were happy that their plan had worked and hopefully the Kraang wouldn't come back again.

"Man, that was awesome!" Mikey rejoiced. "We totally owned the Kraang, and now it's time to party." Then he began singing, "Celebrate good times. Come on! Dah dah dah dah dah dah dah."

Raph rolled his eyes. "Do you really have to sing that now?" he grumbled.

"It seemed appropriate," Mikey responded, sticking his tongue out at his brother.

"Are they always like this?" Rockwell asked.

"All of the time," Leo and Slash said at the same time.

"Jinx!" Mikey called out. "You guys owe each other a Coke."

"So where are we going anyway?" Slash asked.

"To Murakami's, dude," Mikey answered. "It's the best place to have a party after saving the world."

"And you are sure he will not be startled by our appearance?" Leatherhead asked them.

"No, Murakami's blind," Don said. "But he still sensed who we were despite that."

"Do you think he'll be okay with us crashing the party?" Slash asked.

"He'll be fine, Slash," Raph reassured him. "Murakami's awesome. He won't care about who you are. He just judges based on personality. As long as you don't break anything, I think you'll be fine."

"You're one to talk, Raph," Don joked.

"And what sort of food does Murakami make?" Rockwell asked.

"Does he have bread?" Pete chimed in.

"He makes awesome Japanese food," Mikey replied. "You guys have got to try the pizza gyoza."

And with that last remark, Mikey flipped off of the roof to Murakami's building. There were lights on inside, and Slash couldn't help but feel some trepidation despite the Turtles' reassurances. He was still a mutant, and he wasn't sure if Murakami would take kindly to someone who had almost killed his friends once.

Noticing his friend's hesitation, Raph squeezed Slash's hand. "C'mon, we don't wanna miss the fun," he said. "It's all good, buddy."

With that reassurance from his best friend, Slash nodded and followed them into the noodle shop. Murakami was stirring a pot of noodles when they came in and turned to greet them.

"Hello, my friends," he said. "It is so nice to see you again. And I see you have brought other friends as well."

"Yep, we did," Mikey answered. "Murakami-san, this is Slash. He was Raph's pet turtle named Spike once, but he got into some mutagen and mutated himself. He was all mad and tried to kill us, but he's all cool now."

"Mikey!" Leo chastised, giving his brother a mean look, but Mikey ignored it.

"And this is Leatherhead. I befriended him after he ran away from the Kraang and even gave him his name. And that monkey is Doctor Rockwell. He beat up Donnie once. And last but not least, this is Pigeon Pete. He sent a message to April about her dad when he was kidnapped."

Murakami smiled at all of them. "It is nice to meet you," he said with a bow. "Any friend of the Turtles is a friend of mine."

"It's god to meet you too, Murakami-san," Slash said, bowing to him though he knew the noodle chef wouldn't be able to see it. "You do good business here I see."

"Yes, it is flourishing, though it faltered after the Kraang invaded," Murakami said.

"Were you mutated into a Kraang mutant, Murakami-san?" Mikey asked him.

Murakami laughed. "No, Michelangelo, I was not. I was able to escape and went into hiding until the invasion was over. And I suppose it was you boys who stopped it?"

"Of course we did," Mikey answered. "We're awesome like that. And the Mighty Mutanimals helped."

"Ah, what a clever name," Murakami commented.

"Thanks," Slash said. "I came up with it."

"Man, you should have let me name you that," Mikey grumbled.

"I'm sure there will be other villains you'll be naming, Mikey," Leo reassured his brother.

"So what happened to you Turtles while the invasion was happening?" Murakami asked them.

Mikey recounted how they left for the farmhouse and how Leo had to recover there because he'd been attacked by Shredder. Slash was shocked at that. He had known the Turtles weren't in the city, but he never thought they would have to flee.

"My, that had to be horrible for you," Murakami said to Leo. "Are you all right now, Leonardo?"

"I'm fine, Murakami-san," Leo answered.

"That is good to hear. You fought bravely like the warrior you are."

"You bet he did," Raph chimed in. "There's not a lot that can take Leo down."

"That's not true, Raph," Leo said. "You saw how hurt I was."

"Yeah, but you fought back," Raph countered.

"Only because you guys were there to help me," Leo told him.

Raph was about to retort, but Rockwell interrupted before he could.

"Michelangelo said that you have some wonderful food here," he said. "May we try some of the pizza gyoza?"

Murakami nodded. "Yes, that would be fine," he answered. "I am sure you will like it." He immediately began preparing some of the food for the mutants.

"Dudes, you're gonna love it," Mikey declared.

"Mikey, you'd eat dog shit if Murakami told you to," Raph teased.

"I would not!" Mikey protested.

"Yeah, you would," Don replied. "Remember when you ate five bugs all at once?"

"That was because Raph dared me to," said Mikey.

"Or how about the time he ate that ten week old pizza under his bed?" Leo chimed in.

"That was because I was hungry and there was nothing to eat!" protested Mikey.

Raph rolled his eyes. "Okay, Mikey, whatever you say," he said with a grin.

Mikey stuck out his tongue and turned away from his brother to talk to Pete. Donnie and Rockwell were discussing the retromutagen and how far Donnie was into doing more for it and what else could be done. Leatherhead had joined Mikey and Pete in their conversation which left Slash to ruminate on his own thoughts and feelings.

Raph noticed Slash's expression and looked at him in concern. "Are you okay, Slash?" he asked.

Slash nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine," he said. "Just thinking."

"About what?" Leo prompted.

"About how I really suck as a leader," Slash replied.

"What are you talking about?" Raph demanded. He rounded on his older brother. "Leo, did you say something stupid to him?"

"No, of course not!" Leo protested. "Why would I do that?"

"Because you're the type to point out someone's faults," Raph replied.

"Don't blame Leo, Raph," said Slash. "This has nothing to do with him. It has to do with the mistakes I made during the battle. I didn't keep track of my team and caused them to get captured. I let the Kraang disable the portal, almost making sure you guys didn't get home. If it hadn't been for Rockwell using his mind powers, we never would have gotten out of there and won the battle. I was a failure to my team." He hung his head, recalling the panic he'd felt after it all happened and the possibility that they wouldn't have defeated the Kraang.

Leo put a hand on Slash's massive shoulder. "Slash, it wasn't your fault," he said gently. "Failure is something all leaders have to face at some point. What matters is how we deal with it when it comes."

Slash laughed bitterly. "Well, I guess I did a bad job of handling it then," he said.

"No, you didn't," Leo contradicted. "You're new at this, so of course you're going to make mistakes. I did the same thing when I first became leader of my team. I was naïve and had no idea what I'd signed up for. But now, I know the truth of it. There are a lot of tough decisions you have to make when you're in battle. Some of them may not be what you want to do, but you have to think of your team first. You made up for that after you guys escaped, Slash. Don't beat yourself up over one mistake. The key is to learn from it and move on to the next one. That's what Master Splinter taught me."

Raph laughed. "Says the guy who beats himself up if we get in trouble," he teased.

"I'm serious, Raph," Leo said, giving his brother a cold look. "This isn't some joke, okay? If you ever want to talk about leadership, Slash, I'd be happy to lend you advice. Granted, I'm still learning myself, but I can take what I've learned and pass it on to you."

Slash smiled at the Turtle's offer. "I'd like that," he said. "You're a pretty good warrior judging by all those scars you've got."

"Thanks, but I'd rather not have them at all," said Leo softly. "Especially after what happened before."

"Did you blame yourself for that?" Slash asked him.

"Yeah, I kept running it over in my head and thinking about what I could have done differently to prevent it," replied Leo. "But in the end, there was nothing I could have done to prevent what happened. I had to think of my brothers, and leading the Kraang away from them was the best decision even if I did get attacked. Sensei told me that I couldn't have known how things were going to go that day. Then he asked me if I HAD known what was going to happen that day, would I have done it differently."

"And what did you say?" asked Slash.

"I said that I would have done it exactly the same," Leo replied. "That's the key, Slash. Go over your mistakes and ask yourself if things would have been different if you had known the outcome. And if your answer is no, then you've made the best decision you could make. A lot of things are based on chance, and we just have to go with the flow and take what comes."

"I'm glad you told me that, Leo," said Slash. "I'll be sure to keep it in mind the next time something comes up."

Their conversation was interrupted by Murakami serving the pizza gyoza. Slash was a little confused about how to eat it, so Leo showed him how to use the chopsticks. They were very small in Slash's big hand, and he was afraid he was going to break them if he tried anything with them.

"Don't worry if you can't use them, Slash," Leo reassured him. "Not everyone has a knack with them."

"You always have a knack for everything, Leo," Raph grumbled.

"Not everything, Raph," Leo reminded him. The two shared a look of understanding, and the conversation dropped though Slash was curious about it. He decided he would ask later.

"So, what do you guys think?" Mikey asked them. "Pretty good, right?"

"This is amazing!" Rockwell exclaimed. "The flavors just roll over your tongue. You will have to give me this recipe, Murakami-san."

"Wait, you cook, Doc?" Donnie asked.

"Yes, I was quite an accomplished cook," he answered. "Had I not gone into science, I probably would have been a chef. What about you, Donatello?"

Don laughed. "No, I'm horrible in the kitchen," he answered. "I always end up messing things up or trying new things that don't work. Mikey's the best at it and Leo and Raph aren't too bad themselves, but it's best to keep me out of the kitchen until the food's done."

"This meal is very good," Leatherhead said. "I really do enjoy it."

"Yeah, it's great," Slash said. He was having trouble with the chopsticks and abandoned them before he broke them.

"This is even better than bread," Pete piped up. "I wish we could eat like this every day."

"It'll cost you if you do," Raph warned.

"Now, Raphael, I have no problem giving food for free if someone needs it," Murakami chastised.

"I know, but that's not the way things work," Raph answered. "There's no such thing as a free lunch."

"Dude, why do you have to be such a downer?" Mikey asked. Then his eyes lit up. "Hey, I know what will make this party really cool. Let's play a game of Soda Pong."

"What is that?" Leatherhead asked.

"A game that's actually called Beer Pong and is played in many bars," Rockwell explained. "It involves cups of beer and a Ping Pong ball. If one team misses the opposing team's cup, they must drink the beer. Though I believe Michelangelo wants to use soda since he and the others are not old enough to consume alcohol."

"Sounds good to me," Slash said.

"Awesome," said Mikey. "It'll be two teams. Ninja Turtles versus Mighty Mutanimals."

"Oh, we're so gonna win," Raph bragged.

"How would you know?" Leo asked. "You've never even played this game before."

"Yeah, I have," Raph told him. "I played it with Casey at the farmhouse."

"Did you use beer?" Leo asked him.

Raph nodded. "Well, yeah. We found a stash in the barn, and Casey dared me to do it, so I did."

Leo shook his head. "Why am I not surprised?"

"Dudes, are we doing this, or what?" Mikey asked.

The two teams assembled at the bar with cups of soda ranged at the ends. Murakami found two Ping Pong balls and handed them over. Then each team tried to get their ball in the other team's cups. The Turtles were doing a good job, but the Mutanimals had an advantage with Rockwell's psychic abilities. He was able to telegraph their moves and predict where the ball would go on their side while being able to make sure the ball went in on his team's side.

"Hey, that's cheating!" Donnie protested.

"I was not aware that there were any rules other than the ones for all of these games," Rockwell replied. "There is no rule that says if you have an advantage that you can't use it."

At the end of the game, the Mutanimals won, much to Donnie's dismay. Leo and the others took it like good sports and congratulated their opponents.

"That was a good game," Raph said.

"Maybe next time you guys would be up for a game of Turtle Hunt," Leo offered.

"Now that sounds like fun," Pete said. "I'm for it."

"Yeah, we'd love to join you on that one of these days," Slash said with a smile.

It was getting late, so the band of mutants broke up the party, promising Murakami that they would visit again. Raph wanted to walk with Slash and his team to make sure they got home safely. Leo nodded and said that they'd see him back at the Lair and for him to be careful. As they headed over the rooftops, Slash remembered what he'd been meaning to ask Raph.

"Hey, Raph, what was with that look you and Leo shared?" he asked.

"What look?" Raph asked him.

"That look you shared after Leo said that he didn't always have the knack for everything," Slash replied.

"Oh, that look," Raph said. "He was referring to when he woke up from the coma and had to struggle to get back on his feet. It took a long time for him to get back to himself, and he needed our help to do it. Well, my help in particular."

"What did you do while he was out?" Slash asked.

"I watched over him to see if he'd wake up," Raph answered. "It was the worst feeling in the world, Slash. I don't ever want to feel like that again or go through that again. There were times where I just wanted to give up hope that he'd ever get better. It took him three months to wake up, and as the months passed by, I just couldn't continue to hope that he'd get better. There were times where I wished you were there to comfort me, Slash. You were always the best thing in my life when it came to reassuring me about things, even if you couldn't talk at the time."

Slash smiled. "Yeah, you used the leaf trick to get me to answer you," he said.

"Did you really understand what I said, or did you just chew your leaf because you were hungry?"

"I understood what you said," Slash answered. "I wish I could have answered you, but chewing the leaf was the only way to communicate. I always wished I was like you, and maybe that's why I got into the mutagen when I did. I still feel horrible about what it did to me though. I never want to feel that way again."

"I hear you there. Do you ever wish you could change it, or are you happy the way you are?"

"I'm happier now than when I first became a mutant. I've got a team to take care of and friends like you guys to hang out with. It's just like old times with you and me but the difference is that now I can talk to you like an equal, and I have your brothers to hang out with. I know things were rough with me and Leo in the beginning, but I'm glad we settled our differences. He's a great leader, and I hope that one day I can be as good as he is."

"You will, Slash," Raph reassured him. "And I couldn't think of anyone I'd want helping you more than Leo. Sure, we have our differences at times, but he's really good at what he does, and I can always count on him to have my back."

"Yeah, I know that," Slash said. "I just want to forget the past and start fresh with you guys."

"We feel the same way," Raph said. "If you ever want to come by the Lair, you're welcome to. We'd love to have you over for movie night."

"I'd like that, Raph," Slash said. "We'll see."

They reached the warehouse where the Mutanmals were staying. Jack Kurtzman greeted them and they talked about what they'd been doing at Murakami's. Slash turned to Raph.

"It was nice seeing you again, Raph," he said. "I hope we can get together again sometime."

"Count on it," Raph replied.

"You okay to go home by yourself?"

Raph nodded. "I'm good. Not much that can take me down without a fight."

Slash laughed. "Yeah, I figured that. See you later, brother." He held out his fist, and Raph bumped it before turning and heading home. Slash watched until Raph was out of sight and then headed inside to get some sleep. It had been a fun day, and Slash was feeling better about his worries about being a good leader. Leonardo had a point that failure was something that they all had to deal with and it was how they dealt with it that mattered. Slash vowed that he would listen to Leo's words and take them for his own. He would be a good leader to his team and make sure that nothing happened to them. With that last thought in his head, Slash closed his eyes and fell asleep.

A/N: And that's the end of another chapter. I had fun with this one, too, and I hope you liked it as much as I liked writing it. I can't believe I'm getting this story out so fast and how long the chapters are. I certainly don't plan it that way though. It just happens. Oh, and the song Mikey sings is "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang. It's a really good song. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Mental Walls

A/N: And here's the third chapter to this little tale. This will take place after "The Deadly Venom" but will reference what has happened in "Clash of the Mutanimals." I would like to think that what happened there would affect Slash deeply and that he would need help in trying to overcome it. So that's what this chapter will be about. Thanks to those who have favorited and followed this story. Don't be afraid to leave a review as I enjoy hearing what you think of this story and whether you like it or don't like it. Even if you don't like it, don't be afraid to tell me. I'm not going to bite.

Disclaimer: TMNT and all related characters belong to Nickelodeon. I only own the plot and nothing more.

 _His eyes took in his surroundings and he realized he was in the Lair. How had he gotten here? Wasn't he supposed to be at the base? He sniffed and followed the scent until he came upon Splinter peacefully meditating. Slash marveled at how focused the Rat was and how he didn't move at Slash's approach. Slash watched him for a few minutes until a voice spoke to him._

" _Kill him," it said. "It is Master Shredder's desire. He must be destroyed."_

 _Slash nodded. Yes, he had to kill the Rat. Shredder wanted him and the Turtles dead, and it was up to Slash to do it._

 _But another voice cut in. "No, you should not kill him," it said. "He is your friend. He doesn't deserve to die."_

 _Slash knew this second voice was right. Splinter was his friend and ally. Why did he need to die?_

 _The first voice scoffed, "Foolish lies! The Rat is expendable. You have no friends, Slash. You don't need friends anymore. Kill the Rat and you will be rewarded."_

" _No!" the second voice cried. "He doesn't need to die! He is your friend! Stop this madness now!"_

 _Slash was confused, but the first voice was too tempting. It was correct. With a growl, Slash lifted his mace and prepared to strike Splinter. Yes, this was the solution. Splinter needed to die. He watched as the mace came down on Splinter's head, but before he could do anything, Splinter reacted, grabbing the mace with a growl._

" _Slash, what are you doing?" Splinter demanded. "What is the meaning of this?"_

 _The first voice cackled. "Kill him!" it ordered. "Finish what Master Shredder started. End this senseless war."_

 _The second voice was silent meaning that the first voice had taken it out. Good. He didn't need to hear that voice. Slash continued his attack, beating Splinter senseless until the Rat was nothing but a puddle of blood on the ground._

" _Yes!" the first voice crowed. "We have finally done it! Now, all we must do is destroy the Turtles and vengeance will be done!"_

 _But suddenly, Slash came to himself. What had he done? He knelt down and checked for a pulse, but there was none. Splinter was dead, and Slash had killed him._

" _No!" Slash cried. "What have I done? No!"_

22222

Slash sat bolt upright and looked around him. He wasn't in the Lair as he had thought but was at the base where he and his team lived. He shook his head to rid himself of the images in the nightmare. He'd been having a lot of these nightmares ever since he'd been controlled by Shredder, and he knew that wasn't good. Raph had invited him over many times, but Slash had declined. He just felt too guilty over what he'd done to Splinter and couldn't face him. But now he knew something needed to be done. Maybe Splinter could help him with this. He picked up his T-Phone and dialed Raph's number. He wasn't sure whether Raph was up yet, but he could always leave a message.

Raph answered on the second ring. "Hello?" he said.

"Hey, Raph, it's Slash," Slash said. "Do you mind if the guys and I come over?"

"Sure. The game's on tonight, so I figured you'd want to see it."

"Yeah, but that's not the only reason I want to come," Slash said.

"Is something wrong?" Raph asked, his voice filled with concern.

"I've been having some nightmares about what happened," Slash answered. "I thought maybe Splinter could help with that."

"Oh, well, I'm sure he could," Raph said. "Come over any time. You're always welcome."

"Thanks, Raph. We'll be over soon."

After the other Mutanimals awoke and had breakfast, Slash told them what he wanted to do. The others were all for it, so they set out to visit the Lair. Jack wished them well and said he had work to do, so he couldn't come with them. As they neared the Lair, Slash felt some trepidation, remembering the last time he'd been there and what had happened to him there. How could he even think of showing his face after what he did? Splinter had forgiven him, but what if he'd changed his mind? And what about the others? Would they still be fine with him being there, or would they see him as a liability?

As they cleared the turnstiles, they saw Mikey sitting in the Pit watching TV. He turned and smiled as they came in.

"Hey, guys, long time no see," he said. "How's it hanging?"

"Pretty good," Slash said. "Where's Master Splinter?"

"He's in the dojo with Leo," Mikey answered.

"Thanks," Slash said. He headed that way while Rockwell went to Don's lab to talk to him about his projects. Leatherhead sat with Mikey and Pete went to go play on the Space Heroes arcade machine.

Slahs approached the dojo with caution, his nightmare still in his head. He just hoped that what had happened there wouldn't be a reality today. Splinter was running through some katas with Leo but looked up as Slash entered.

"Ah, Slash, come in," Splinter greeted. "Raphael said you wished to see me."

"Yeah, do you mind if we go to your room?" Slash asked.

"Not at all," Splinter said.

"I'll leave you guys alone," Leo said.

"No, you can come, too, Leo," Slash said. "And maybe you could bring Raph."

Leo nodded. "I'll go get him," he said and disappeared.

"Come with me, my friend," Splinter said gently.

Slash followed the Rat to his room. He had been there only once before after the mind control worm had been taken from him. He slowly sat down across from Splinter while Splinter began preparing tea. He saw that Splinter had healed from the attack, but he still had some bruises and his movements still weren't the same. A wave of guilt coursed through Slash upon seeing Splinter's condition. That was his fault.

Splinter regarded Slash and could see the guilt in his eyes. "I know what you are feeling, but you do not have to feel guilty," he said gently. "It was not your fault that you attacked me. You had no control over your actions."

"I know, but I still feel awful about it," Slash said. "How are you feeling?"

"I am healing slowly," Splinter replied. "Do not fret, my friend. I will make a full recovery according to Donatello."

"That's good to hear," Slash said. He would have said more, but he was interrupted by Leo and Raph's arrival.

"Hey, Slash, good to see you," Raph greeted him.

"Hey, Raph," Slash replied. "Good to see you, too."

"What is wrong, Slash?" Splinter asked.

"I've been having nightmares about what happened to me," Slash said. "In them, I see myself attacking you and killing you, Master Splinter. There are two voices in my head. One is telling me to kill you because it's what Shredder wants, and the other one is begging me not to."

"I see," Splinter said. "And how many of these dreams have you had?"

"I haven't really counted them, but there have been more than one," Slash replied. "Do you know what that means?"

"It means you are still harboring guilt for what happened," Splinter replied. "Dreams often take the shape of our fears, and your fear is that you will become what you were when you first mutated. Now that Shredder has accessed your mind, you fear that what he did to you will happen again and that you will not be able to stop it. There is no shame in this. It is common for this to happen."

"I often had a lot of nightmares after Shredder attacked me," Leo chimed in. "They haven't totally gone away, but they aren't as numerous as they once were."

"Raphael, have you had nightmares about what happened?" Splinter asked his green-eyed son.

"Once I did, but I haven't had them since," Raph replied.

Splinter eyed his son with a look Slash knew well. It was a look that indicated he didn't believe Raph's statement, and Slash was quick to agree with him. Raph was averting his eyes, something he often did when he wasn't telling the whole truth.

"I do not believe you, my son," Splinter told him. "You have had more."

"No, I haven't!" Raph protested. "I don't have a lot of nightmares, Sensei. That's Mikey's department, not mine."

"Raph, yes you have," Leo pointed out. "I've caught you having them. Remember when I came to your room and you wanted me to stay with you until you fell asleep?"

Raph glared at his older brother. "Thanks for selling me out, Leo!" he snapped.

"There is no shame in having nightmares, Raphael," Splinter said. "What you experienced affected you deeply. You, too, feel guilty that you almost killed your brother, and you are afraid that your anger will get the better of you and you will harm your family."

Raph crossed his arms over his plastron. "So what? Why does it matter if I have these dreams or not? It's not like they're real."

"But they feel real," Slash said. "At least mine do."

"So what do we do about it?" Raph asked.

"I believe extensive therapy is a good start," Splinter said. "Drink this tea. It will calm you and cleanse you of any negative emotions you may be feeling."

Slash nodded and gently picked up the teacup. Just like with the chopsticks at Murakami's, Slash felt that he had to handle this cup with care or he would break it. He held it and gently sipped the tea. It felt soothing going down his throat, and he hoped that it would do just what Splinter said it would and relieve him of these guilty feelings.

Raph wrinkled his nose. "You can't be serious, Sensei. You know I don't like tea."

"Drink it," Splinter commanded. "It will help."

Raph sighed and did as his father said. Leo and Splinter also drank their tea and didn't stop until it was gone.

"Do you feel better, Slash?" Splinter asked him.

"Yeah, a little," he said. "Is that it?"

"No, now we will talk more about what happened that day and then we will meditate to clear our minds. How did it feel when the worm entered your body?"

"It was scary," Slash said. "I tried to fight it, but I couldn't. As it went in, I felt this horrible pain, like it was crushing my skull, and there was nothing I could do about it."

"Is that how you felt as well, Raphael?"

"Yeah, it was," Raph replied.

"I heard this voice telling me to attack you, just like in my dream," Slash continued. "I knew it wasn't the right thing to do, but I couldn't control my actions. It was like the worm was making me do it against my will. I tried to fight it, but I couldn't."

"Same here," Raph said softly.

"I see," said Splinter. "And how did you feel after the worm was extracted from you?"

"I felt like myself again," answered Slash. "I felt free and like no one could control me."

"Raphael, is that how you felt as well?"

Raph nodded again.

"Good," Splinter said. "Hopefully, talking about it will help you to avoid the nightmares. If you have any more, do not hesitate to tell me and we can talk about them here. Talking about your fears is a good way to help you face them."

"Why isn't Rockwell here?" Raph asked. "He went through this, too."

"He has his reasons," Slash said and that was all he would say about the matter. It wasn't his place to give up Rockwell's secrets and if the doctor wanted to talk about it, he would do so himself.

"That is understandable," Splinter said. "Please let him know that he is welcome to share his story if he would like to."

"I will," Slash replied.

"And now, we will meditate to clear our minds," Splinter said. He closed his eyes and began breathing deeply. Leo copied him, and Slash's mind returned to the image of his nightmare and how he'd walked in on Splinter meditating before he attacked him. He shook the thoughts away and closed his eyes, breathing deeply and trying to rid himself of everything that was bothering him. He really wasn't sure if it would work, but after some time, a peaceful feeling settled around him and he forgot about his burgeoning guilt for what happened. Maybe things could be resolved after all. He didn't have to let the guilt control him anymore, and he wasn't going to let Shredder be the one to control him ever again.

22222

Donatello smiled as he showed Dr. Rockwell his formula. "I figured that since Karai was controlled by the brain worm, I could try and find an antidote to it."

"Why not insult her the way you did to me?" Rockwell asked him.

"Because Karai's not the type you insult," Don said. "Plus, I don't think it would work since Shredder's had time to counteract that particular attack."

"I must say, Donatello, you really are a genius when it comes to these things," Rockwell commented. "I never would have thought about any of this."

Don smiled. "Thanks, Doc," he said. "So, why aren't you with Splinter and the others? You went through all of that, too."

"I'm not too keen on therapists," Rockwell replied.

"Why not?" Don asked. "I mean, if you don't mind my asking. You don't have to share if you don't want to."

Rockwell sighed. "When I was a boy, I was bullied at school for being smart. My parents knew it affected me badly and took me to a therapist to see if it would help with my depression. So I went and tried it, but it didn't work. The therapist never helped me, and I continued to get tormented until I learned to fight back."

"You fought other boys?"

He nodded. "Yes, I had to in order to save myself from the torment. It wasn't easy and it probably wasn't the best solution, but I had no choice. Nothing else was working. I did make more friends as the years passed though, and I thought all of that was behind me after I met Falco. But as you know, it didn't happen. I think that's why I've always been so mistrustful of others and their intentions."

"So that's why you beat me up that day? You didn't trust me?"

"Yes, that's why," Rockwell said. "It was wrong of me, but I felt I needed to do so to protect myself. Plus, that chemical Falco gave me made me wild when I didn't want to be."

"That's awful," Don said softly. "I'm so sorry you went through all of that, Doc."

"Yes, it wasn't pleasant, but I'm past all of that now. Have you ever been bullied for your intelligence, Donatello?"

"Well, sometimes my brothers will tease me if I go off on a tangent, but they never belittle how smart I am," he answered.

"You are very lucky you have not dealt with that," Rockwell said. "It's a horrible thing."

"Well, if I was in the real world, I probably would get bullied being a mutant and all."

"Yes, very true. But let's not talk of past grievances. I think we need to work on this formula and see if we can perfect it."

"Sounds good to me, Doc," Don said. "Let's get to work."

22222

"Okay, now watch this part," Mikey said. "You won't believe what happens."

Leatherhead smiled as he took in the show his friend was watching. He honestly didn't understand why Michelangelo enjoyed seeing two women fighting, but he knew it would mean a lot to his friend if he watched.

"Why are they fighting?" Leatherhead asked.

"Because Eva Marie's so full of herself," he replied. "She thinks that she's gonna be the Divas Champion, but she has a long way to go to beat Nikki. I never liked Eva anyway, and Nikki's giving her a big reality check."

Pete came over from playing the Space Heroes pinball game. "What are you guys watching?" he asked.

"Total Divas," Mikey answered. "You wanna watch with us?"

"Sure," Pete replied.

Leatherhead tried to get into the show, but it reminded him of the won discord between his own team and how Slash and Rockwell had nearly turned on them. He didn't think he could have dealt with the two of them leaving the team.

"Yo, LH, you okay?" Mikey asked.

Leatherhead shook himself out of his thoughts. "Yes, I am fine, Michelangelo," he said. "I was just thinking about what could have happened if my friends had not been cured of the mind control worms."

Mikey put a hand on his shoulder. "Dude, don't sweat it," he said. "It's all good now. They're okay, so just relax."

"It is not that easy to do, my friend," Leatherhead replied. "Do you not think about what would have happened if Leonardo had not been able to cure Raphael?"

Mikey nodded. "Yeah, I do, but it didn't happen," he said. "Raph's okay and so are Slash and Rockwell. Shredder didn't get them, and he won't get them again."

"I hope you are right, my friend," Leatherhead said. "I do not want to go through that ever again."

"Yeah, that was scary," Pete chimed in. "But Mikey's right Everything's okay now, so we should just enjoy our time here."

Leatherhead nodded and continued watching the show. After a little while, the others joined them and watched the football game. Raph and Slash bantered about who would win while Mikey made jokes and yelled insults at the TV to the opposing team. Leatherhead let the comforting chatter of his friends and teammates fill him, and he knew that Mikey was right. Everything was okay now and all they had to do was prevent something like this from happening again. With the Turtles by their sides, they would do it. He sighed and watched the game, letting the sounds of his friends and the TV drown out his thoughts. It wasn't good to dwell on any of this. They would work on it another time, and now was the time to relax and have fun. But in the back of his mind, Leatherhead still feared that evil lurked in the shadows and that one day, it would come back to haunt them again. But if it did, they would be ready to fight it and defeat it.

A/N: And that's the end of another chapter. I'm having so much fun writing this and hope you're enjoying this too. Feel free to leave a review and have a shelltastic day.


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